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The First Age
The Wars of Beleriand
The First Age is the shortest of the four ages als given by Tolkien´s books. It lastet (only) 583 years compared to the 3441 years of the Second Age,
the 3021 years of the Third. The Fourth Age is only chronicled by Tolkien for 172 years but in letter written in 1958 he states:
"I imagine the gap [between the Fall of Barad-dûr and modern times] to be about 6000 years; that is we are now at the end of the Fifth Age, if the Ages were of about the same length as S[econd] A[ge] and T[hird] A[ge]. But they have, I think, quickened; and I imagine we are actually at the end of the Sixth Age, or in the Seventh."
The events of the First Age mainly take place in Beleriand and the lands to the north. Beleriand, originally only the country around the By of Balar, is the region to the far west and north of Middle-Earth which was destroyed at the end of the First Age during the War of Wrath.
Only parts of Ossiriand, named "Lindon" in the Lord of the Rings, remained.
In the year one of the First Age the Noldorian Exiles arrived in the north-west of Beleriand under the leadership of Fëanor and where attacked by Morgoth´s forces in Mithrim. The Noldor where at that time victorious but Fëanor immediately moved on to Angband in an attempt to recover the silmarils stolen by Morgoth.
Angband was then the new fortress of Morgoth after the Valar destroyed Utumno in the years preceding the First Age. Fëanor´s army, greatly outnumbered by Morgoth´s forces, lost the battle before the gates of Angband where Fëanor himself was slain by Gothmog, The Lord of the Balrog´s.
This battle was afterwards named the Dagor-nuin-Giliath, the starlit battle before the rising of the moon.
In the year one, just after the first rising of the sun, the Father´s of Men awoke in the far eastern land´s of Hildórien. Seeing the sunrise, many of the first Men set out westwards, and so came eventually to Beleriand after some three hundred years of wandering.
In the year 75 the Dagor Aglareb, the third battle in the wars of Beleriand, was fought. Also named the Glorious Battle Morgoth here loosened his orc´s to ravage Beleriand. Through the Pass of Sirion and Maglor´s Gap the forces of Morgoth entered Beleriand but were beaten back by the armies of Fingolfin and Maedhros and utterly destroyed.
In the year 126 the city of Gondolin was completed. This city of found by Turgon in the hidden valley of Tumladen where Ulmo, Valar and Lord of Waters, himself led him.
It took since the 50th year of the First Age to build Gondolin, whereafter Turgon´s people, then living in Nevrast, removed there secretly.
Gondolin remained secret until the year 510 when by the treachery of Maeglin Sauron discovered and sacked the city. Turgon died in the fall of the city, but his daughter Idril and Tuor, along with their son Eärendil, managed to escape.
Men, after travelling all the way out of the far east, finally reached Beleriand in the year 305. They were discoverd in Ossiriand by Finrod Felagund and some joined his service. Men afterwards partly joined in the wars of Beleriand on the side of the Elves, some were fighting battles against Morgoth on their own, some even fighting against the elves.
After besieging the fortress of Angband for four centuries Morgoth finally broke the siege in the year 455. This war became known as the Dagor Bragollach, the Battle of Sudden Flame, for one night in winter Morgoth sent out rivers of flame from Angband consuming the plain of Ard-Galen, which was later renamed Anfauglith.
Armies of Orcs and Balrogs, led by Glaurung the dragon, poured forth and took the fortresses of Angrod and Aegnor as well as Maglor´s gap.
Having an entry into Beleriand itself Morgoth took, after a siege, the forces on Himring and the tower of Minas Tirith. The orcs roamed at free will throughout the northern lands of Beleriand.
As the battle raged against the Mountains of Shadow, Fingolfin rode in anger across the dust of Anfauglith and challenged Morgoth to single combat. At the doors of Angband itself, they fought a great duel, but though Morgoth was wounded, Fingolfin was destroyed by the Morgoth´s hammer.
The Quest of the Silmaril, where Beren had to get by any means a Silmaril from Morgoth´s Iron Crown as a bride-price for King Thingol´s daughter Lúthien, was achieved by Beren with the help of Lúthien and Finrod Felagund in the year 465.
In 471 the Nirnaeth Arnoediad, the battle of Unnumbered Tears, the Noldor and the Edain purposed to finally overthrow Morgoth but were themselves utterly defeated. Thus was lost all hope for ever defeating Morgoth.
In 495 thus fell the realm of Nargothrond (Finrod Felagund) from where for long years was kept a watch an unceasing watch on the grasslands to the north; the Talath Dirnen or Guarded Plain.
After Eärendil came to Valinor to beg for the aid of the Valar, in 583 they sent a mighty force into Middle-earth to do battle with Morgoth. Led by Eönwë, the herald of Manwë, the forces of the Valar, with the peoples of the Vanyar and the Noldor that had remained in Aman, sailed eastward in the ships of the Teleri.
In the great battle that followed, Morgoth's armies were almost completely destroyed, and only a few of his Balrogs, Dragons and Orcs survived. Morgoth himself was taken as prisoner and shut beyond the confines of the World, and the Silmarils were recovered from his Iron Crown. In the tumult of the war, Beleriand and the lands to the north were destroyed and sunk beneath the sea, and the shape of Middle-earth was changed
The above are the key events of the First Age, the full chronicle, as provided by the Encyclopedia of Arda, is given below:
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1
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Return of the Noldor to Middle-earth. Death of Fëanor.
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1
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Dagor-nuin-Giliath
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1
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Awakening of Men in Hildórien
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50
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Journey of Turgon and Finrod
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75
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Dagor Aglareb. The Siege of Angband is set by the Princes of the Noldor
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100
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Foundation of Nargothrond
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126
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Completion of Gondolin. Turgon's people begin the migration from Nevrast
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265
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Glaurung ravages Beleriand, but is driven back to Angband
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305
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Men are discovered in Ossiriand by Finrod Felagund
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345
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Return of Aredhel and Maeglin to Gondolin
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345
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Death of Eöl the Dark Elf
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389
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Birth of Hador, later Lord of Dor-lómin
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443
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Approximate date for the birth of Beren Erchamion
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445
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Birth of Ereinion, later called Gil-galad
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450
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Birth of Larnach
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455
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Dagor Bragollach. Breaking of the Siege of Angband.
Celegorm and Curufin flee Himlad for Nargothrond.
Húrin and Huor are brought to Gondolin by Thorondor.
Fingolfin slain in single combat with Morgoth
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456
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Húrin and Huor return out of Gondolin to Dor-lómin
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457
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Capture of Minas Tirith (in Beleriand) by the forces of Sauron
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462
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Galdor is slain in the siege of Barad Eithel
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463
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Birth of Túrin Turambar in Dor-lómin.
Beren first comes upon Lúthien
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465
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Celegorm and Curufin are exiled from Nargothrond and journey to Himring
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468
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Finrod and Beren are imprisoned in Tol-in-Gaurhoth. Finrod is slain by a werewolf, but Beren is rescued by Lúthien
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469
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Beren and Lúthien achieve the Quest of the Silmaril
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471
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The Nirnaeth Arnoediad
Fingon is slain in the Nirnaeth. Turgon becomes High King of the Noldor.
Huor is slain in the Fen of Serech, and Húrin is captured by Morgoth.
Birth of Tuor.
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472
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Siege and capture of the Havens of Brithombar and Eglarest
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475
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Birth of Dior Eluchíl on Tol Galen
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494
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Approximate date of the reforging of Gurthang
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495
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Sack of Nargothrond
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498
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Slaying of Glaurung, and deaths of Túrin Turambar and Nienor Níniel in Brethil
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500
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Death of Larnach
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502
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Deaths of Beren and Lúthien
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503
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Death of Thingol
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504
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Journey of Dior to Doriath
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505
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Assault by the sons of Fëanor on Menegroth. Dior, Celegorm, Curufin and Caranthir are all slain.
510 Fall of Gondolin and death of Turgon. Glorfindel slays a Balrog in the Encircling Mountains, and is himself slain
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560
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Tuor and Idril sail into the West in the ship Eärrámë
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583
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War of Wrath and the destruction of Beleriand
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583
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Angband is destroyed and Morgoth is banished from the World
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